Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Coexistence

Let's get one thing straight.We may all be created equal by God, or the higher power you choose to attribute origin to... but we don't stay equal.

It may come as news; even a shock to some- to hear that they aren't entitled to the best job or a top salary.

The near certainty that their name won't be in lights in the imminent future is a reality check many can't wrap their head around.

The fact is, I feel extremely lucky to be born in Canada in a time that I've known at least domestic peace for all of my nearly 35 years. I've never had to miss a meal because of poverty, even though there were many times I couldn't afford this or that growing up. I am LUCKY. Work ethic and talent have factored in, but I can't give myself nearly all the credit.

It's been said that to get along, you have to go along. I think that concept is being lost on more and more people as the selfish extrinsic motivation focuses more on reward than an intrinsic motivation focusing on celebration.

What's the difference?Extrinsic = trying to find happiness from the outside in. Buy the right brands, get the gear, have the right friends, drive the right car, work in the right industry, and the respect and admiration will follow. Hopefully those feelings will carry more substance than the fleeting high retail therapy or surface friends do may be the logic. The end game is reward. Get, get, get.

Intrinsic = trying to find happiness by looking inside first. Doing the hard looks in the mirror and all the self work. Focusing on what you NEED vs want, and learning the secret of appreciation vs longing. The end game is progression, and it manifests in that like-minded inviduals aren't competing; they're collaborating in their quests, and celebrating one anothers successes without jockeying or comparison.

In the context of Occupy Wall Street et al., try and guess which one of these groups makes up the 99%, and which one the 1%?

In the spirit of truly hoping each human being finds happiness, I'd invite them to get out of their own way to that objective by challenging their mode of thinking. Trying to be more instrinsic and socially motivated than extrinsic and selfish.

In the spirit of fair warning, to those who are all flash & dash; mile wide & inch deep - at least get out of the way of the 1% as we leapfrog your lazy excuse-giving a$$es on the way to taking advantage of the opportunities you want but won't work for... we have very little patience for what you think you deserve and how you think the old school ways don't work any more.